TARANAKI.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1830, 14 February 1863, Page 3

TARANAKI.

[from oub own oobkespondent.'J February 6th, 1868. How much do I wish that it wa9 in ray power to write and inform you that poor Taranaki was progressing and preparing with renovated energy once again to take her position as one of the prosperous provinces of New Zealand. It may be . that the darkest hour is oftentimes a prelude to the bright beams of day — let us hopo it is so, for just now our case appears as bad as it possibly can be— no hope is given of future ' settlement ; our unfortnnate settlers, men of respectability who have left England with a few thousand pounds, trusting to form homes for increasing families in a less populated country, are still dragging on their pauper-like existence. It appears to be thepolicy of. the Government, in place of fostering self respect in these" unfor- '. tunates, to do all in their power to impress them with the feeling of slavish labour. Iris not the mere labour that irritates the minds of the settlers, for all are willing and desirous of doing something towards earning a living. The dissatisfaction arises from the want of system, and from the constant changes that are ensuing. Picture • to yourself a body of your respectable settlers placed in a similar position to those of thia province, working on the ( roads at a low rate of wages ; just as you all with your families had accommodated yourselves to the circumstances, away comes an order without any reason being given for the change, for all work to be executed by contract ; no sooner does thiß system come into operation, > than another despotic command, goes forth for all > those on the Toads to be paid by the. hour, in ac--1 cordance with their ages, so that old men who have ; large families to support, and consequently need • money most, receive the least. Theße changes ■ do not originate alone from the ministry, but from • those, who, if they had not been placed in a po- ' sttion to receive government salaries, would like- • wise bo forced to earn their living by the sweat of i their brows. It is very desirable that all persons i should be treated alike, and that there should be no partiality shown in favor of either district or > class. - - ' To obviate the present disagreeable state of ' affatrs, it would be far better that a stranger , should be sent amongst us to take charge of the • Province, at present we are suffering under an ' unjust amouut of pressure that lam Bure is not , the wish of our fellow colonists should fall to our L 1 lob. t At this present moment, the province is without money, and all usefnl works are in a state of ■ stagnation ; so great is the feeling of depression • amongst all classes, that a memorial has been , drawn up to her Majesty, begging for ' her assisi tance towards relieving us from our truly pain--3 ful position. a The beautiful flats of the Waitara, in conjunc--1 tion with all lands owned by the Maories, are co- >. vered with thistles, which' are sending forth their 1 millions of seeds to the annoyance of their white b neighbours, and the law is powerless to the black- - man, whilst it is most stringent on the Europeau ; 7 taking it all in all, we were more considerately v treated by the Fox Ministry than we are by the 7 present. „ ■ W. I. G;

... ' .... ; ' ;. nelson: •■ , ;_ r _ We, have dates from Nelson to the 10th instant The news from the Bullor diggings continue satisfactory. The ' Colonist 1 of the 10th inatam says, — ' " The news by late advices from the BuJle: goldfields received further confirmation yesterdaj by the arrival of the steamer Lyfctelton from th< West Coast, bringing 281 ozs of gold, amongs 1 which are some new nuggets of considerable em — one of 15 ozs 12 dwts f- and throe others whicl: weigh 29 ozs together, and others besides o various sizes down to IJ oz each. The favorable accounts hitherto received are not only endorsee by some additional particulars, but are surpassed by intelligence that fully warrants the belief thai our golden harvest has at length set in with s strong tide, and one that will go on increasingly and rapidly, and the end of which no one can be bold enough to determine. In addition to the one creek at the Upper Buller which is the site of the late rush, and which we are told contains a hundred acres of flat land, it is stated that nine or .ten others have been discovered of a similai description, with creeks, &c, available for the gold digger.'' A public meeting was held there some time ago, and a deputation waited on the Superintendent tc resolve on the best means of forming a road to the goldfields. Mr Skeet has been for a considerable time exploring the country with that view ; but a further expedition is being organised, and Mr Hough and Mr Rochfort were to start on the I Oth inst. The ' Examiner' in alluding to #uch a scheme, remarks, — " Let the examination be systematic, deliberate, exhaustive ; not a series of scrambles for the dear life through the forest, but an examination whioh shall result in laying down on paper the whole of the broad features of the districts where roads are hoped for with the approximate heights of all important valleys and ridges. That this ; cannot be done, and shortly, over the limited districts in question, it will be quite impossible to persuade any man of practical kuowledge in such matters. That it will cost an enormous amount is a great mistake. Assuming that the leaders of the aflair are williug to take their chance of profit # and honor, we feel convinced that for i>looo certainly, and probably at a much less cost, this work may be done. The issue may not be a good track, but it will be a certain knowledge which track is the best, and the labor and means of the province may then be employed confidently, and liberally on that track, .whether it be the line now blazed by Mr Skeet,.the sunset vision of Mr Hough, or the Wangapeka line, which the Superintendent, as well as Mr Wrey, inclines to believe practicable. By way of opening the subscription, the * Examiner ' contributes M&O to this Exploration Fund. " The latest accounts confirm the success of the diggers at the Lyall River; and we learn«that the Maories are prospecting the Matiri, another tributary of the Buller River, considerably nearer tho Lake country and above the end of Mr Skeet's track, and that. they found every sign of good payable goldfields all the way through." The weather has been dry and hot, and bush fires have been prevalent. The grain crops are rather below the average.